Bill to Designate Digital Satellite Radio 'National-Only' Service Introduced in Senate

Senators Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, Max Baucus, D-Mont., and Trent Lott, R-Miss., introduced S. 2418, the "Local Emergency Radio Service Preservation Act of 2006." Among other things, if passed, the bill would require the FCC to rule within 270 days whether satellite radio companies may offer locally originated services on nationally distributed channels. Additionally, "Developments in receiver technology will enable digital audio radio satellite service licensees to offer new services in the future, including localized content that may be intermixed with other national content or that would be selected based on the listener's location," states the bill. The legislation is nearly identical to H.R. 998, which has now gained 111 co-sponsors in House, according to NAB, which applauded the action. NAB President/CEO David Rehr states the measure is "designed to preserve the rich tradition of local broadcasting. It is crystal clear that both XM and Sirius - with nearly $1 billion in combined losses last year and having failed as a national programming service - are skirting the intent of their original FCC licenses." The legislation, if passed, would hold satellite radio accountable to those licenses, he said.

Representatives Gene Green, D-Texas and Chip Pickering, R-Miss., introduced legislation that “holds satellite radio companies accountable to their national-only licenses,” according to the announcement from NAB.